Adoro Mexican Grill – Los Angeles, CA

Adoro Mexican Grille, 7th + Fig

Wandering around the L.A. Convention Center during Siggraph, we decided to try 7th + Fig. Metro ads plastered about claimed it was the shopping and eating capital of downtown. Well, if it meant that Adoro, one of its few actual restaurants (they have a food court) was expensive, they were right about that.

Looking at the menu, it looked amazing. But $16 for a burrito just seemed irreligious. But CPK across the veranda was jam-packed with crazies willing to wait an hour for a pizza. So we sucked it up.

The menu is actually quite wonderful. It promises gourmet burritos and tacos and delivers. I can’t tell you much about the atmosphere inside, as we sat on the patio, but the seats were comfy, the table didn’t wobble, and the wait staff was friendly and knowledgable –albeit a bit absent at the end when a large group came in. (It took us 20 minutes to get our check, after asking for it twice. And the guys next to us never got their side of cheese or salt.)

I ordered the Burrito Fajita. A whole wheat tortilla stuffed with cheese, sauteed onions, peppers, tomatoes and guacamole. My mom ordered the carnitas.

They bring out delicious homemade chips with a trio of dipping salsas. One had a barbecue flavor to it, delicious and sweet and spicy. A green tomatillo sauce which was spicy hot. And, of course, the spicy pickled carrots and onions. They were all incredibly flavorful.

Once the food was brought out –and service was fast– it was to-die-for delicious. The guacamole was fresh, the vegetables tasted fresh, the ranchera salsa was excellent. Just so yum. In fact, I completely forgot to take a picture of it until it was halfway eaten. Sorry!

Burrito Fajita, Adoro Mexican Grille (half-eaten, oops)

My mom’s carnitas were also good. The meat looked very moist.

We also had a Kahlua cheesecake with orange-flavored whipped cream. Also very very good and full of delicious flavor. I’m not sure, though, if it was made in-house.

In the end, it was quite pricey. Nearly $20 for each of us (we got the dessert free with a coupon). I’m not used to spending that kind of money on Mexican food, but it was almost worth it this time around. A few dollars cheaper would’ve made more sense though.

PEOPLE: ***

FOOD: ****

PLACE: ****

OVERALL: ****

Check out their site at http://www.adorogrille.com/

The Cottage Restaurant in Laguna Beach, CA

The Cottage Restaurant (minus the patio)

I always think this restaurant is going to be better than it is.

After this picture was taken, they added an outdoor patio on the right-hand side. Great on wonderful SoCal days, but bad when they put flowers that attract bees on the table.

Waitstaff is friendly and professional.

Food? Overpriced. But, they give you a lot of it. And while it is nothing to write home about (unless you’re blogging home about it), the omelets and french toast and pancakes are average. Stay away from the homefries. I ordered a side with my pancakes ($6 for 2), and they were just boiled to mush with overcooked veggies and their moisture and grease eeked out on the plate. Just stay away from the potatoes altogether. Their cottage fries are crispy fingers of tastelessness.

I have yet to find a really good Laguna Beach breakfast haunt. My guess is they’re further away from the beach and off the beaten path, as most good things are.

PEOPLE: ****

PLACE: ***

FOOD: **

OVERALL: ***

Diva Lounge in Davis Square, Boston

Diva Lounge, Davis Square's "Hot" Spot

We came here to smoke hookas, which has always seemed like something that should be illegal but isn’t, but the hot Chinese waitress informed us that we could only smoke the hookas if we ordered food from the Diva Indian Bistro next door. As we had already eaten, we decided nay but sat down in the lounge anyway. There was a giant round couch with inviting cushions in the corner, so our group of 9 plopped down.

The cocktails were mostly creative. There was a pumpkin puree martini on the menu, which when I ordered –because heck, that sounded pretty damn weird– the waitress told us it was no longer on the menu, “Because it wasn’t very good.” Well, at least they’re willing to experiment here!

So instead I ordered a martini with blackberries on the bottom, which with the juice and liquers, got to be syrupy and thick. Yum. But two cost me $20, which I wasn’t too happy about.

Maybe they make you pay for the setting, which is pretty awesome. The bar’s ceiling and walls are lined with large square multi-colored lights and the benches of cushions have a very welcoming and exotic appeal to them.

The patrons were slightly skanky, as were a couple of the wait staff. Me thinks there were a couple of Chinese prostitutes at the bar, which made for a bit of an uncomfortable and unseemly atmosphere at points when they flashed too much skin or draped themselves over the redheaded nerd they were sitting with. Oddly enough, one of the waitresses joined in the draping over the redheaded nerd, which made me wonder about the type of staff the Diva Lounge was willing to hire. A bit sketchy. Though the service, as it were, was good.

We went on a weekday, but the weekends are probably packed with similar types and my guess is it’s a meat market of sexy-types. A great place to meet people if you’re into that, though.

PEOPLE: **

SETTING: ****

DRINKS: ****

OVERALL: ***

Getting Stir-Fried Rice Just Right

If you’re like me, you have a very white boyfriend who likes all things Asian, except not really. I’m only half-Asian and his favorite Asian dish is Orange Chicken. (Not that I can make fun with a straight face – I love it too, and grew up on Lemon Chicken from the local Golden Wok.)

In short, if you’re like me, you’ve spent some time trying to get just the right combination of veggies and meat into a healthy combination of stir-fried goodness.

This is what I came up with.

My model for this dish (Rainbow Fried Rice, Cookinglight)

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup egg beaters
3/4 cup bok choy, chopped
2 cups chicken, chopped into edible pieces
4 cups cooked brown rice
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 cups shredded Chinese cabbage
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup minced green onions
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

PREPARATION

Heat olive oil and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once aromatic, add chicken pieces. Cook until done, about 2-4 minutes per side.

Add the vegetables, cook 1-2 minutes. Add the rice and soy sauce, mix thoroughly. Make a well in the center of the rice, and pour the egg beaters. Let cook slightly until a bit settled, then mix in with the rice.

After rice is warmed through, add sesame oil and green onions. Yum!